St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-11-26

GIest for the aid Of troops to 1naugurafe
the new stOte government tomorrow.
To do SO would be to recognize one OF
TWO rival governments for the state
executive and legislative-at the very
time when committee of each house
of congress is in the state capital OF
Louisiana investigating all the facts
connected with The late election at
which each of the contestants claims to
have been legally elected. All the
troops can be called npon to do Will be
to suppress violence If any should take
place and leave constitutional author
ity and means to settle which IS the
rightful governor and which the legal
legislature. This done troops may be
used to uphold the righ tful government
in the state, if called upon IN accord
ance with the spirit and meaning of the
constitution. L. S. GRANT"
IT IS A MAsTERIY LETTER.
1t was written in my presence, and with
the greatest ease. was astonlshed, for
had heard that Grant did not under
stand constitutional questions and
could not write state papers.
but If you will read carefully
that communication to Kellogg, you
will see how able public man Ill many
respects General Grant was. Now | say
to-day, in the presence of this audience,
that when he took the position he did
i'll that letter one of the moving motives
with him was his confidence in the
character and integrity of Francis 1.
Nichols, and that the people of Loulsl-
ana are indebted to this gentleman IN
great measure for the fact that Grant
then for the first time in his career. re-
fused to interpose with the army OF the
United States to suppress the rights OF
the people of Louisiana.
| made these observations the other
day and yet some of the newspapers of
the state have declared that had gone
out of my way to pay tribute to
General Grant and had uttered words
unbecoming a senator from Louisiana.
In my heart | felt some touch of graft
tude to General Grant when he with
held the lisary power of the govern
ment OF the United States from
overwhelming the people of my state.
Grant not only declined to give kel-
logg
MILITARY SUPPORT,
but when Packard applied for recogni-
ton he had answered that he could not
give him the recognition he desired.
When he took that position it was
understood at Washington, and think
in Louisiana, that the result would be
the establishment of the Nichols gov
eminent. Nothing could prevent the
establishment of the Nichols Demo-
cratic government in ttis state except
the interference of the military power
of the United States. 1t had been dem
onstrated by Ogden and the white
league in September 1874, that the car
pet-bag government in the state was
only q card castle which the people of
the state with Il wave OF the hand could
scatter to the winds.
You know it had no support in this
Sfp* a nt INIT n1
States marshal backed up by the mill
tary forces of the United States gov
eminent, and when President Grant
notified Kellogg and Packard that he
could no longer uphold their carpet-bag
government, that they would fold their
tents like the Arab and silently steal
away. This was not your opin-
ion, or my opinion only. but the opin-
ion of all the Republican officials in
Louisiana.
Here is a dispatch from United
States District Attorney Beckwish to
that effect. And under date of Jan.
s, 1877, the Republican United States
Senators Howe, 'Wadleigh, Mcmillan
and Oglesby teiegraphed:
NEW ORLEANS, Jan. s, 1S7.-If
the president adheres to his re-
ported policy to recognize neither gov
eminent, the Nichols 81 de will possess
hours"
But if any doubt remains of this
view, the following dispatches would
tend to remove it:
NEW ORLEANS, Jan. S. 1S17.-J. r.
West, Senator: Try and get the president
TO recognize our government. 1t is our
only hope. S. B. PACKARD"
NEW ORLEANS, Jan. S, 1S77.-Sena-
tors Sherman and Morton, Washington,
~ Y g r. t~,,
president does not soon recognize the
11ers1IT elected Packard) government
in Louisiana, H. will prove fatal to our
"'''' '''' 49, ' VIZ. KEttoGG."
And SO / might add Others, but IT 49,
not necessary. Federal bayonets alone
kept up carpet-bag government and
negro domination in this state.
Here also IS Packard's telegram of
Jan. 9, asking President Grant to recon-
sider.his determination:
/ go out of my way to say find IN this
book telegram from old confederate
soldier whom General Lee called his
FRIGHT ARM"
his "old warhorse," and who had stray
ed from the true fold, who had betrayed
his people and his trust i'll lite.
but who came back to US at this
critical time, and sent the following dis
patch to Grant. l am disposed myself
TO censure a man in life for any misstep
he may take in proportion to the oppor-
tunities and the associations he may
have enjoyed, and when man has been
elevated to a high position by his fellow
countrymen, either military or civil,
and great trusts and honors have been
granted him, think he should be held
to stricter accountability than those
who move in humber spheres of life
and are endowed with less stl ength OF
character and ability. But when the
prodigal son comes back, be he whom he
NAV, great confederate chleftaln
whom some of you may have followed
in Virginia. or boy led astray by evil
associations. | am one of those who
would feel like having the fatted calf
mansion of the people to which he prop
erly belongs. lApplause.l
NV eve falls on this dispatch, which
take pleasure IN reading:
NEW ORLEANS, Jan. Q, 1877. - To
President Grant, Washington: General
Nichols was yesterday inaugurated
governor of the state amid enthusiastic
demonstrations of patriotism that
should be gratifying to every American
citizen. / believe him fairly elected to
the office to which he has been induct-
ed, and that he will maintain peace and
good order throughout the state. beg,
therefore, that you will maturely con-
slider the premises, notwithstanding adj
verse sensational dispatches that may
reach you. Respectfully,
-. LoNGsTREET."
So you see it was the settled opinion
not only in Washington but In Louis
lana, that if the federal government was
Glands Off and would not interfere with
military force, the Democratic govern
ment would be established beyond the
shadow of doubt. We felt that way
and think you felt it was reasonably
sure. not absolutely, for have maxim
in politics that nothing is certain until
some time after it has happened. 1t is